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"Seriously, Harlow?" I ask "You can say that with a straight face?"

Lola’s eyes are similarly wide in disbelief as she turns to me "That’s not what I meant"

"Oh, I’m definitely i men try But Mia takes about teeks before she converses without a thick sheet of aard"

"Not tonight, she doesn’t," Lola ive Harlow a look "Maybe I like going slow and getting past that weird need people have for nonstop conversation You’re the one who likes to bang off the bat, and that’s fine I don’t judge"

"Well," Harlow continues as if I haven’t spoken "Ansel is adorable and I’m pretty sure from the way he stares at you, he won’t need you to do hs "He seems really sweet and they’re obviously both into each other, and what’s going to happen?" She shoves everything back in her clutch and turns to lean against the bay of sinks and face us "He lives in France, she’s inally closer to France than San Diego If you have sex with Ansel," she says toand soft-focus eye contact That’s not one-night-stand sex"

"You guys are freaking ht now," I tell they, what’s the problem?" Harlow asks, bewildered

Since I’m clearly not needed for this conversation, I pushtheht, without me

AT FIRST, IT’S as if our friends row hter tellsEventually they head to the blackjack tables just outside the bar, leaving us alone together only after delivering their ful be careful stares to me and don’t be pushy stares to Ansel

He finishes his drink and puts the elass down on the bar "What did you love in or Ansel, I don’t care I take his hand and pull him to his feet He steps away fro lost in it," I say, leaning into hi someone else" That way I could pretend to be anyone, I think, in their body, doing things ht about it too h I ht have needed to take a deep breath and count to ten first, I do

When we round the corner and stop, he hu how the sound s and lungs and brain to all quit working at the sae," he says quietly, leaning his hand against the wall beside my head "You could pretend to be soirl who pulled me down here because she wanted to kissthe words carefully in ets the girl he wants and doesn’t have any fires to put out back home"

He doesn’t look away, so I feel like I can’t, either, even though ht this second and it wouldn’t be soon enough